What the 2023 Nissan Patrol Warrior needs to succeed

Nissan confirmed the launch of a Patrol Warrior in collaboration with Premcar back in September – but it’s no big secret this weapon has been under evaluation and testing for some time.

The Warrior formula has proven its success – the Navara Warrior ute is now sold in two variants with demand continuing to all-but outstrip supply.

Like the Navara, the Patrol – entering its 11th year on sale in Oz – is no spring chicken, but it is the last remaining bastion of V8 brutality in the Australian off-roader segment with the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series downsizing to a diesel V6.

Jump to the wish-list

Catch up on the Warrior saga

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We tried to extract some more information about the Patrol Warrior program before the end of the year, but Nissan was keeping its cards close to its chest.

“We confirmed that it's coming and we’re still working towards the arrival date, which is in the second half of the next calendar year”, Nissan managing director, Adam Paterson, told 4X4 Australia.

“Obviously, we're doing everything we can to make sure that the car is here sooner rather than later. But there's a lot of work being done to make sure we can bring something like that to market.

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“So I think that's what we can share on that right now. And hopefully, at some point soon, we'll have some more concepts and images that we'll be able to share as we move a little bit further down the development road," Paterson added.

With little more to go off than some teaser images, insights into what the Patrol needs to make it sing, and rough guidance from the Premcar-developed Navara Warriors, we’ve written a wish-list for what we expect (and want) to see from the Patrol Warrior.

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A six-wheel Warrior definitely isn't happening... looks awesome though

4x4 Australia’s Patrol Warrior wish-list

The Patrol is a pretty capable beast out of the box, helped by its 5.6-litre petrol V8 producing 298kW of power and 560Nm of torque, but there’s always more to do.

Underbody protection: Necessary for protecting the VK58’s exposed sump

Upgraded suspension: Better body clearance and firmer ride. Likely to be sourced from suppliers such as Monroe and Tenneco, potentially with a 15-25 millimetre lift from springs and more damping support

Bigger tyres: 35-inch rubber ought to do the job, something beefy along the lines of a Maxxis AT811 RAZR or Cooper S/T Maxx, or maybe Cooper Discoverers like the Navara

Frontal protection: An integrated bull-bar is a must, and you might as well put a winch in, too, and while you’re at it, why not a lightbar?

Exhaust upgrade: Because V8s should sound like V8s – Nissan has already teased us with a pair of G63 AMG-style side-exhaust pipes. Are they real? Will they pass ADRs? These are questions that need answering.

Snorkel: A four- or 5-inch set-up, because you want to hear your money being spent (and it improves wading depth… but who are we kidding, it’s the sound that counts).

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A little something extra would be awesome

Being a more upmarket vehicle than the Navara Warrior, there’s also scope for Premcar to push the Patrol Warrior further with a couple of nice-to-have features.

Camping capability: A dual-lithium battery system for powering the camp site and devices

Freedom: A set of solar panels mounted on a flat roof platform to charge said batteries

More power, baby: This could be achieved with a supercharger kit – Harrop sells one – because supercharged V8s just make us happy

That’s a non-exhaustive list of what we think could, and should feature on the Patrol Warrior. But what do you think? Let us know in the comments how you’d have your amped Patrol.

What's it going to cost?

The Patrol Warrior is still without a confirmed Australian release date, but the glossy teaser images suggest that vehicles are closer to production than test mules.

Pricing will certainly start above the Ti ($82,160) and Ti-L ($95,115) Patrol's list prices. If Nissan and Premcar choose to keep the Patrol's Warrior package close in execution to the Navara, expect it to be based on the top-spec Ti-L.

For Navara, the Warrior commands a $10.5K upcharge over a regular Pro-4X, which would put a Patrol Warrior at around $105,000 before on-road costs.

If Premcar chooses to go further for Patrol, though, this could climb to $110-120K – inching closer to the $136,981 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series GR Sport.